Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for her colleague Edmundo Gonzalez to assume the presidency, following the removal of Nicolás Maduro from office. In a letter posted on X, Machado said Maduro refused a negotiated exit, and the opposition will work to restore order and release political prisoners.
Gonzalez shared Machado’s message, affirming: “Venezuelans, these are decisive hours, know that we are ready for the great operation of the reconstruction of our nation.” Venezuelans abroad celebrated the development, with chants of joy heard in Chile and other countries hosting large Venezuelan migrant communities.
Venezuelans gather to celebrate, after U.S. President Donald Trump said that the U.S. attacked Venezuela and deposed its President Nicolas Maduro, in Santiago, Chile January 3, 2026. REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza
Israel welcomed Maduro’s removal. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the ousting of the “dictator who led a network of drugs and terror” opens the way for democracy and hopes for renewed friendly relations between Israel and Venezuela. Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa also expressed support for the opposition, telling Machado, Gonzalez, and the Venezuelan people: “It’s time to reclaim your country. You have an ally in Ecuador.”
Meanwhile, France, Russia, South Africa, and the U.N. criticized the U.S.-led operation. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called it a violation of international law, while Russia demanded the release of Maduro and his wife. South Africa called for an urgent U.N. Security Council session, and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres voiced alarm over the precedent set.
The crisis comes after years of economic hardship, political unrest, and one of the largest migration waves in the region, with millions of Venezuelans living abroad.
